Monday October 12
Our zone had a BBQ for Zone Activity. We did it at a member's house and it was a lot of fun. There was a Volleyball Court, a trampoline, teatherball, and then a sword and a cake. This family has the tradition of having someone cut their birthday cake with a sword. Since my birthday was the day before, the Elders got me a cake, and sang the most off-tune happy birthday song. It was great. It was really fun to get the cake all smashed up with the sword, and whatnot. Cake ended up in my face, and mainly in my eye. It was not my most favorite thing. But, that is okay cause it made Sister T2 and I bond a little more. Bonding is always a good thing. We were supposed to have FHE with a family, but they had to reschedule for a couple days later.
Tuesday October 13
High on the Mountain Top is all that could be heard in our little area of Apple Valley. Our district leader found a spot that overlooks Apple Valley and so we had District Meeting up there. It was really cool, and we are forever going to be going back to that training, and really focusing on our purpose as missionaries. We had dinner with a Part Member family, and we were able to help the Mom distract her son while she did a little photo shoot of him. It was great. Little Ranger has never been more mad to be sitting in a pumpkin watching two sister missionaries try and get him to laugh. The struggle was real, and Sue is just going to have to deal with having pictures of screaming Ranger.
Wednesday October 14
We were contacting a potential investigator, and then we were standing outside and who drives up? Our recent convert that has fallen off the face of the earth... We were all a little surprised, but it was so good to see her. We found out that she just has been really busy, and that she is not intentionally avoiding us. That was comforting to find out, but then she didn't come to church. That was a little frustrating. We also had family home evening with a less-active family as well! It was really good to have the WHOLE family sit in on it. They are wanting to invite investigators to their family home evening, so that was really cool! I loved sitting there playing games, and then eating cookies with them. It was really fun. This coming week we are carving pumpkins, and talking about how Satan tries to cut us little by little before we notice what is happening. It should be good. I was watching a Mormon Message called Dangerous Tides, and I realized that it really goes with how Satan works hard to make somethings appear not a big deal, and that it won't harm us to just do it once.
Thursday October 15
We were called before we could even do studies, and asked to help a part member family move. When we got there, the house wasn't packed and they were planning on leaving the next morning. *insert chaotic parents and grumpy teenagers* No one really wanted to be there, but it was good that we went or else all those little trinkets that we so precariously wrapped would not be safe in the moving truck. It was good to help them move as well, because it seems that all the missionaries that have served in this ward have tried to teach him, and he just isn't ready. It was good to be able to serve him, and help him realize that we are there for more than teaching the gospel. The Ranchos ward also had their relief society party. The topic was based off the Pear Tree Analogy. The Sisters that did the video, and spoke did such a good job! They talked a lot about how as women, we really get down on ourselves but we shouldn't. We just need to realize that everything happens at a specific time, and for a specific reason. They talked about how in our lives, sometimes we are like the tree in the winter: dead, and not really appearing to grow. But other times in our lives, we are like a tree in the summer: full of growth and reaching our potential. It really made me reevaluate my attitude about somethings that are going on with being a missionary.
Friday October 16
We were able to meet with a Less-Active that has really been struggling. We went over, and there was a special spirit in her home. The rain was POURING outside, and inside her home it was so cozy. I was so grateful for the Spirit being there. The Spirit was not always there when we would go, but I know this time her being sober had a HUGE part of the Spirit being there. We helped her clean her house, and decorate it for Halloween. I asked if she had something I could dust with, and she handed me this pair of underwear. I was so grossed out, but she told me that it was clean. I can tell you all, it did not look or feel clean. We came home, and I wanted to bleach my hands. We also had dinner with a convert family. They were telling us their conversion story, and I was so amazed. It took 17 years of missionaries, but the last ones that taught them just served them becuase they didn't know what else to do. We are slowly building more and more member trust in these wards. I love it. Referrals are going to come flooding in!
Saturday October 17
The worst day of the whole transfer. You sit around (okay, not really sit around, we still worked), waiting to hear if you are getting transferred. Our district had two service projects, and they both were for Less-Actives! It was great! They both came to church the next day too! WHOOO! Anyways, we used sledge hammers to beat apart a swamp cooler, and the Elders used axes to take down a tree. Then they fed us lunch. At the next service project, the lady's fence fell down, and so we helped put it back up. We dug holes, re-nailed all the boards, and made that fence safe again. I am so grateful the Elders knew what they were doing, and that they were able direct us where to nail, and where to dig. Later that night, the Granite Hills Ward had an activity. We had a chili cook-off, and I learned how to rope a cow! It was awesome. So many people came out that we invited. I was so grateful to have an activity where we could invite people to come to. We also had homemade dutch-oven cobbler. It was SO good. I limited myself to only tasting the desserts. Then I didn't overeat.
Oh, and transfer calls came when we were building the fence. I am staying and finishing my mission in Apple Valley in Ranchos and Granite Hills Wards. I am in a trio... AGAIN!!! And Sister S who I was companions with in Upland is coming with Sister T2 and me. It is going to be a party!!!
Sunday October 18
We went to church, and our Less-Active was there. I was so surprised!!! She has been telling us for weeks that she is coming, and never comes. I think the fact we did service for her, and the fact I used that nasty underwear, really was what brought her to church! Just kidding, but it was so good to see her there.
I hope you all have a great week! Here is a link to the video I was talking about earlier.
Love you all!
Love, Sister Rietz
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| High on a mountain top with Sister T2 |
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| High on a mountain top with my district |
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| Yee-haw |
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| Reppin' the Sister Missionaries |
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| In an abandoned car, with my district. Because it was there. |
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| The new tripanionship |
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